Yuliana Garcia
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Lorraine Gutierrez
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Psychology and Social Work / LSA
Program: UROPF
Session: Session 4 (1:40pm – 2:30pm)
Authors:
Abstract
The strength of a community is only as strong as the posterity of the culture that emerges from it. Adolescents and their perception of mental health—impacted by societal structures, gender socialization, and exposure to violence— need to be addressed, as access to appropriate care directly influences the sustainability and viable growth of future generations in rural Mexico. In order to examine adolescent experiences with wellness and enculturation, La Ropa Sucia se Lava en Casa collected and analyzed youth-based interviews in a small indigenous town in rural Mexico. Though existing research has examined traditional psychiatric treatment offered to adults, minimal investigation has been conducted to study how adolescents understand and approach mental health-related issues. As a result, this mixed-method study focuses on how adolescents defined mental health and determined the factors that influence this conceptualization. By exploring how adolescents discern mental soundness, La Ropa Sucia se Lava en Casa addresses the series of themes of familismo and machismo in a broader context, to raise awareness of the unique challenges that racial and ethnic populations confront, and further recognize the repercussions of potentially harmful stigma surrounding mental health within a culture. Even while depression, anxiety, and PTSD affect the Mexican population, specifically the younger generations, how these adolescents perceive and deal with these issues varies substantially, and reflect cultural values. Essentially, findings reveal that adolescents in rural Mexico comprehend the concept of mental health, but their coping methods are affected by community values. Adolescents’ mental health, symptom presentation, and service use are all imperative to their development; hence, future studies must further explore how future conversations with, and beyond Latinx communities can serve to impact the betterment of generations to come.
